The Hockey Puck May Be Named After a Goblin
A puck is the rubber disc used in ice hockey. Its origin is disputed and possibly mischievous.
A puck is the hard rubber disc used in ice hockey. Nobody is certain where the name comes from. One theory points to the verb *to puck*, an Irish hurling term meaning to strike; another to *Puck*, the mischievous sprite of English folklore and of *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, since the disc darts about unpredictably. Pucks are frozen before games: chilling them to around minus ten degrees reduces bouncing, because cold rubber is less elastic.
- A hockey disc. *He shot the puck.*
- A folklore sprite. *Puck.*
- To strike (Irish). *To puck.*
- Puckish — mischievous. *A puckish grin.*
- Old English — *puca*, a goblin. *The sprite.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | puck | A puck. |
| Plural | pucks | Pucks. |
| Adjective | puckish | Puckish. |
| Old English | puca | A goblin. |
| Irish | poc | A stroke. |
- The puck hit the post.Hockey.
- Puck is a sprite in Shakespeare.Literature.
- Pucks are frozen first.Practice.
Facts about the puck
- Vulcanised rubber, 7.6 cm across and 2.5 cm thick
- About 170 grams in weight
- Frozen before play to stop it bouncing
- Teams keep a supply chilled at the bench
- Shots have been recorded above 160 km/h
Origin uncertain; possibly from the Irish hurling verb *puck*, to strike, or from *Puck*, a folklore sprite, from Old English *puca*.
Why are hockey pucks frozen?
Cold rubber is less elastic, so a frozen puck bounces far less and slides more predictably.
Is the puck named after Shakespeare's Puck?
Possibly. The origin is disputed, with the Irish hurling verb to puck being the other main candidate.